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Colin Redman knew almost nothing about Marquette’s hockey program coming into his freshman year. The only thing he knew was that the club team existed, and having had success in high school hockey, he decided to tryout.

“Coming in I had no clue what to expect or what the level of play would be like,” Redman said. “I came to summer skate and after I said to myself, ‘Wow, all these kids can play.'”

One year later the sophomore defenseman has played a major role in the team’s early success.

“He (Redman) certainly has exceeded expectations and has played a big role for us this season,” head coach Will Jurgensen said.

Redman found his love for hockey growing up in Michigan. He played often in the Midwest, learning from his dad who had also played the game. When he was 10, Redman’s family moved to California so continuing to play was a struggle.

“In Michigan there was a rink five minutes away from my house and in California the nearest one was over 20 minutes away,” Redman said.

Redman said he missed the game too much and began playing again his freshman year of high school. His reignited career was quite successful. His high school team went on to win a state championship his sophomore year and during his senior year Redman’s club team, the Junior Ducks, reached the quarterfinals at nationals.

His transition to collegiate hockey was not easy. Jurgensen said like most players, it took time for him to adjust to the style of play. In his second season, Redman has elevated his play and is a shutdown defenseman.

“Whenever you go into a new level of play you’re a little hesitant,” Redman said. “You always want to make the safe play instead of the riskier one.”

Assistant coach Peter Shutt, the team’s primary defensive coach, said it was only a matter of time that Redman would become a big contributor.

“He has all the talents. That was evident on the first day he came in,” Shutt said. “Now he has the confidence and the ability to make big plays.”

Redman’s contributions have not just been on the defensive end, but also on the offensive end. So far this season Redman has three goals and nine assists. Shutt said one of Redman’s best attributes is that he is such a strong skater. That’s allowed him to play on the offensive end and provide help scoring goals.

“I’m just more confident with the puck, I have a lot of confidence going into the attacking zone and making something happen,” Redman said.

Something that helped Redman this year is the team’s depth and his trust in his teammates. Marquette has nine players with double digit points this season, something the team hasn’t had in recent years.

“Just about everyone has put up points,” Redman said. “It feels good knowing everyone is going to do what they need to do.”

Jurgensen said the depth has made his job a lot easier.

“It really helps when we can play four lines deep and rely on all the guys,” he said.

Jurgensen said Redman has shown glimpses of becoming a leader on the ice. He believes his young defenseman has no ceiling and hopes he continues to improve.

“The nice thing about being a sophomore is you still have room to grow and improve,” Jurgensen said. “I certainly expect him to keep doing this.”